Rahul Takes Dig at PM Modi Over Advice to Bureaucrats on Social Media Use

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his advice to bureaucrats asking them not to use social media for self-promotion, saying he should lead them by example.

File photo of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his advice to bureaucrats asking them not to use social media for self-promotion, saying he should lead them by example.

"Leading by example is clearly overrated," the Congress vice-president said on Twitter, after Modi told babus on Friday not to use social media for self-promotion or spend too much time online.

The Prime Minister actively uses the social media to connect with the public and is the most followed leader on Twitter and Instagram in the country.

BJP leader Smriti Irani fired a retaliatory salvo at the Congress vice-president with a tweet, "Look who is talking about being overrated". The tweet was accompanied by a smiley.

Modi had said on Friday that he does not lack the political will required to carry out reforms and rather has an "extra bit" even as he exhorted bureaucrats to break silos and work together as a team to perform and transform the country.

Addressing civil servants, Modi had said they do not need to be afraid of any consequences for taking fast decisions as he will stand behind the officers taking honest decisions in public interest.